Stewardship and Sacred Heart: At “Sacred Heart we believe that the practice of STEWARDSHIP is part of a larger faith-response by which Christians give their entire selves to God.” Practically speaking, our objective at the Stewardship Committee is to assist the pastor and parish leaders to get parishioners more involved in parish life and more generous with their financial gifts. We at Sacred Heart are emphasizing the virtue of hospitality. Our goal is to become a welcoming community that extends a friendly invitation to each member to become active in building the Body of Christ. In our parish, “All Are Welcome.” We are one body, one body in Christ, and we do not stand alone. These are the words sung by millions around the world. It is truly a Catholic anthem, one which emphasizes that we are a universal church with room for every person. Just as Jesus welcomes every person with open arms, we at Sacred Heart welcome the presence and involvement of all our members – whether they are longtime members, new families, youth, or just returning to the church, as I have. Part of being a welcoming community is being open to the gifts and talents of each member. This is why each year we invite all parishioners to make commitments of time, talent, and treasure. Your gifts are what make Sacred Heart a vibrant parish community. Our goals are many, but not achievable without you, our community.

STEWARDSHIP of TIME

Being a steward of time means making time for the things we love most. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” If you truly love the Lord, you will make time to be with him in prayer. If you love your neighbor, you will find ways to help your community. If you love your parish, you will seek out opportunities to spend time with your fellow parishioners.

STEWARDSHIP of TALENT

Anyone who aspires to greatness must serve the rest; whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but rather to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the many. We all have different schedules, different abilities, different interests – but we all share a common obligation to be active members of the Body of Christ. A good steward is one who takes this obligation seriously and finds ways to put his or her talent to work. At Sacred Heart we have dozens of ministries – from religious education to community outreach programs. You don’t need to be an artist or a musician to have “Talent.” You don’t even need a special hobby or skill. All you need is the conviction that you do, in fact, have a role to play and the willingness to seek it out.

STEWARDSHIP of TREASURE

At Sacred Heart, we are encouraging each other to be better stewards of our money, setting aside a generous offering to the parish each week. This is an important part of our Stewardship Renewal Appeal. Talking about money in a church setting is distasteful to some people – but it shouldn’t be. Jesus himself spoke about money quite frequently, for the very simple reason that money plays a large role in our lives. Precisely because of this, it needs to be aligned with our most deeply held beliefs. After all, Jesus asks us to give Him our hearts; why should it be harder to give Him our dollars? “Where your treasure is, there also lies your heart.”

Thank you for your time, I would like to close with a Prayer for Stewardship. In the name of the Father – Son - and the Holy Spirit

Jesus. Teach us to pray. Help us to manage our time so that we can spend it with you.

Holy Spirit, fill us with your gifts. May we offer ourselves in sacrifice for our parish and for all in need.

Father, give us generous hearts. Help us to manage our finances and to offer first fruits to you.

As your faithful disciples, we ask this for ourselves and for Catholics everywhere, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen